DSD supports over 130 000 girls with Sanitary Dignity Project

As we celebrate International Day of the Girl Child, the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) continues to promote the wellbeing and dignity of girls across the province through its Sanitary Dignity Project.

In partnership with the Western Cape Education Department, DSD has delivered more than 3.432 million packs of sanitary pads to learners across province, since the inception of the project.

Since 2020/21, we have increased the number of beneficiaries from 94 817 learners at 220 schools, to 130 396 learners at 365 schools during the current financial year. These include farm schools, special needs schools, and DSD-funded child and youth care centres.

Now in its 12th year, the International Day of the Girl Child, celebrated annually on 11 October, is themed Invest in Girls' Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being. According to the United Nations, this day creates the opportunity to recognise girls’ rights and the unique challenges they face around the world.

“Period poverty can have a negative impact on girls if they’re missing school days due to not having access to sanitary products. However, this project enables indigent girl learners to better manage their menstruation,” says Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez.

Minister Fernandez adds that there are many societal ills and barriers that girls and women may face in their lifetimes, but a natural bodily function should not be one of them.

“While we have reached a great number of beneficiaries as government, we cannot do this alone. Therefore, I thank the many NGOs, companies, and individuals who continue to conduct sanitary drives to assist girls.

“We all must do our part in our homes and communities to dismantle the inequalities and challenges faced by girls, and to ensure that their voices and experiences are valued,” says Minister Fernandez.